A crowd of 100 people gathered.
The crowd gathered in Thetford (Image: PA)
Police have issued a major update after a huge crowd of people stormed an estate they thought was housing asylum seekers.
Norfolk Police’s Chief Constable Paul Sanford said some asylum seekers had to be escorted from homes as a result of the unrest in Thetford, Norfolk, over the past three nights.
He told the BBC’s Today programme: “We did have people protesting in the Thetford area who were targeting addresses they believed were housing asylum seekers, and on a couple of occasions, that required us to escort the residents of those properties away for their safety.”
When asked what might have happened if officers had not intervened, he said: “I think it’s highly likely that the protesters would have got into the property, they would have created a significant problem, and really threatened the safety of the occupants, and indeed the protesters themselves.”
Police issued an update after three days of disorder. (Image: Eastern Daily Press/SWNS)
Mr Sanford also said “I absolutely refute” that his officers had been too aggressive. He told BBC’s Today programme: “We have people who are exercising their right to protest, and, of course, we will support that. There are people who live in Thetford who are concerned, understandably concerned, about some of the things that are happening in their town.
“However, across three consecutive nights, a group of people have crossed the line as to what is acceptable. And we have been appropriately policing those behaviours. I’ve seen the reports of heavy handedness.
“We’ve been firm. We’ve been firm with people who have broken the law. And if people wander into an active protest and ignore calls from the police to stand back, then there is a high likelihood that they might get caught up in what occurs.
“But my officers have done a fantastic job. I’ve had two police officers hospitalised as a result of the incident on Wednesday night. The people who perpetrated those offences should expect the full force of the law, and I will be pushing for the strongest possible sanction.”
Norfolk Police said officers were called to St John’s Way, Thetford, at 8.12pm on Tuesday and five men believed to be asylum seekers were rescued from a property in Thetford by police in front of a baying crowd.
Fury at secret Home Office plan to house asylum seekers in idyllic seaside town
Reform Welsh Senedd member Tom Montgomery claimed as many as 52 asylum seekers could be housed at the site.
Sunset over the Welsh coast near Gronant (Image: Getty)
Families in an idyllic coastal village better known for its colony of little terns have reacted with fury to secretive Home Office plans to house asylum seekers there. Residents of Gronant in Flintshire, which has a population of around 1,600, have been told that 13 of 15 new homes at the former Gronant Institute site are due to be used by Clearsprings, a company working for the Home Office, to accommodate families awaiting decisions on their asylum claims.
Local councillor Glyn Banks is seeking a meeting involving the area’s Labour MP, police and representatives of concerned residents. He said: “The lack of any early briefing from Clearsprings or the Home Office has caused great upset in the community.”
Reform Welsh Senedd member Tom Montgomery claimed as many as 52 asylum seekers could be housed at the site.
He has written to the UK Government asking what security checks have been carried out and demanding that the proposals are stopped.
Mr Montgomery said: “With Gronant only having 697 households, limited services, and poor public transport links, it should be apparent to any reasonable person that it is the wrong place to house asylum-seekers.”
The plans have prompted concern in the village, with residents angry that they say they were not properly informed about the proposals before they emerged.
Gronant is home to an important colony of little terns and is known for its coastal setting and sandy beaches.
Flintshire County Council defended the asylum seekers who could be housed there.
A spokesman said: “They are not illegal immigrants, they are individuals exercising their legal right to claim asylum and deserve to be treated with compassion and respect.”